Synergies in the role of the Office of Groundwater Impact Assessment and the Independent Expert Scientific Committee on coal seam gas and large coal mining development in environmental assessments
Chris Pigram A , Sanjeev Pandey B D and Peter Baker CA Independent Export Scientific Committee (IESC), GPO Box 787, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
B Office of Groundwater Impact Assessment (OGIA), Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Queensland Government, 1 William Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4000, Australia.
C Office of Water Science, Department of Environment and Energy, Australian Government, GPO Box 787, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: sanjeev.pandey@dnrme.qld.gov.au
The APPEA Journal 59(1) 115-119 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ18278
Submitted: 6 December 2018 Accepted: 8 February 2019 Published: 17 June 2019
Abstract
The Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development (IESC) is a statutory committee that provides scientific advice to Australian governments on the impacts that each coal seam gas (CSG) and large coal mining development may have on water resources. In this context, the IESC consider all aspects of a water resource, including water, organisms and ecosystems that contribute to or rely on them. The Office of Groundwater Impact Assessment (OGIA) is an independent statutory entity responsible for undertaking cumulative impact assessments from CSG and other petroleum production in Queensland, including the Surat Cumulative Management Area (CMA). OGIA also establishes impact management arrangements and identifies responsible tenure holders to implement specific aspects of those arrangements. Neither the IESC nor OGIA are regulators. Due to their respective functions both entities have different roles and interaction with CSG development in the Surat CMA. The IESC and OGIA engage regularly to ensure a shared understanding of knowledge, research and management. This paper provides an overview of key synergies between the roles and functions of the IESC and OGIA and considerations for proponents when using OGIA assessment in their environmental assessments that are referred to IESC for advice.
Keywords: cumulative impacts, groundwater, groundwater management, IESC, OGIA, Surat Basin.
Dr Chris Pigram is a leader in research and management of minerals, marine and petroleum geoscience programs, and geospatial and earth monitoring. Dr Pigram was formerly the CEO of Geoscience Australia, where he held the role for seven years, after more than 30 years with the organisation. This experience enables him to manage the interface between science and government, and engage stakeholders. Dr Pigram has a PhD in Geology, is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, and was recently awarded the Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to public administration, particularly through scientific leadership roles. |
Sanjeev Pandey is a hydrogeologist with nearly 25 years of public and private sector experience in regional-scale groundwater resource assessment and management. As General Manager, he leads the Queensland Office of OGIA – an independent office for the assessment and management of cumulative groundwater impacts from resource development. Previously as OGIA Director of Technical Projects, he led and completed the development of cumulative groundwater impact assessment in the Surat and southern Bowen basins. In his various public and private sector roles, he has been intimately involved in leading technical assessments of the Great Artesian Basin and development of strategic policy and legislation for groundwater management in Queensland. |
Peter Baker has over 35 years of experience working across the private and public sectors as well as academia. He is currently Director and Senior Principal Research Scientist of the Office of Water Science within the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Energy. In this role he leads a dedicated group of scientists that support the Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development, the Supervising Scientist on uranium mining and the broader department in regard to the impacts of developments on water resources. Previously Peter led the Water Program with the Bureau of Rural Sciences and for 10 years led a range of multi-discipline projects ranging across the full spectrum of natural resource management. Working in the Queensland public service he led several hydrogeological investigations particularly in the Bundaberg region. Prior to joining the public service, Peter spent time working as a tutor at the Flinders University of South Australia and as a Petroleum Geologist with several operating oil and gas companies in Australia. In his early career he worked with gold mining companies in Western Australia. |
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